Global Talent Visa Endorsement

Winning a prestigious prize in your field, such as the Booker Prize or Nobel Prize, will give you the automatic ability to apply for a Global Talent visa.

If you do not qualify under this pathway, you need to apply for an endorsement to demonstrate that you are an exceptionally talented and promising individual.

The endorsement must be provided by one of the six Global Talent visa endorsement bodies. Examples of fields where you can get an endorsement include science, technology, fashion, design, arts and culture, and humanities.

After you have been endorsed, you can apply for a UK Global Talent visa.

Page Contents

• Overview of Endorsement for Global Talent Visa
• Endorsement Requirements for Global Talent Visa
• Supporting Documents
• Endorsement Bodies
• Endorsement Application Process
• Endorsement Application Fees and Processing Time
• What Happens After a Successful Endorsement Application?
• Next Steps for Rejected Endorsement Applications
• How can Newcastle Immigration Lawyers help you?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Fashion Industry

An endorsement in the fashion industry requires you to be connected to a leading fashion business. This could be through ownership or by having a leading role.

Individuals with exceptional talent in the fashion design industry will need to demonstrate that they have produced work of international significance. Their designs could have been sold internationally. Alternatively, you can show that your work has been featured in significant catwalk shows in at least two countries. Exceptionally promising individuals in the fashion industry need their work to have been sold domestically or to have been featured in catwalk shows in a single country.

The fashion industry endorsement is also uniquely connected to the commercialisation of your work. For example, to show exceptional talent, you’ll need to provide evidence that your work has been distributed and sold internationally. These sales can have occurred through your company’s in-house ecommerce platforms or retail outlets. The sales could also have been executed via major international retailers.

Film and Television

Applicants working in film, television, animation, post-production, or visual effects apply for Global Talent visa endorsement through the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), acting on behalf of Arts Council England. Applications are submitted via the Home Office online portal, which forwards them to Arts Council England, which then delegates the assessment to PACT.

Unlike most other Global Talent categories, the film and television route is only open under the exceptional talent tier. The exceptional promise tier, designed for early-career applicants who have not yet built an extensive track record, is not available under PACT’s remit. This means every applicant must demonstrate they are already an established, internationally recognised leader in their discipline, whether working in front of the camera or behind the scenes.

To secure endorsement, applicants must provide evidence of significant contributions to internationally acclaimed film, television, or related productions via:

• Credits on productions that have received notable critical acclaim, commercial success, or international distribution
• Industry awards or nominations, such as BAFTAs, Academy Awards, Golden Globes, or Emmys
• Media coverage or reviews confirming professional standing and reputation within the industry
• Evidence of a specific creative or technical contribution to the productions cited

Fast Track

Researchers with leading expertise or potential can often access a fast-track endorsement. They’ll need to fulfil one of three categories.

This endorsement category requires you to currently hold or previously have held an award or peer-reviewed research fellowship. The award or research fellowship will need to be listed as eligible by specific bodies: the British Academy, the Royal Society, or the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Successful fast-track endorsement candidates will also have been offered a suitable academic or research position. The UK Higher Education Institution will need to approve the role. Alternatively, it could be featured on the British Academy, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering lists. The position must require the holder to have a PhD. That requirement is waived if you hold equivalent experience.

To support your application, the institution’s director of human resources must provide a statement of guarantee. This letter will need to confirm these facts:

• Research or innovation will be your primary function
• The job was advertised, and applications were received from other candidates
• There is a legitimate reason if no open competition was held
• You provided two or more references in your application
• The hiring team consulted at least one external expert
• The role requires at least a PhD or equivalent work experience

The interview panel must include at least three representatives from research, innovation, or academia. One of these individuals must be an expert in your field.

A way to access a fast-track endorsement without having been offered an eligible academic or research position is to have been offered hosting or employment by a UK-based research organisation. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has published a list of organisations approved to offer such hosting and employment positions. Requirements for such positions include that you will:

• Make critical contributions to your field in the UK
• Receive a research grant or award from endorsed funders
• The grants or awards you receive will be worth at least £30,000 over two years

Alternatively, a one-off award is given based on your success in an open competition. The final funding option is a renewable award from an institution, subject to periodic peer review.

While in the UK on a hosting or employment agreement with a local institution, you will be conducting a research project. This will be directly, independently, or via a Principal Investigator’s supervision. You’ll need to show PhD education or equivalent experience.

Being a participant in your university or a similar institution’s academic community is also essential. For the research itself, you must be listed as a principal investigator, co-investigator, or holder of a similar position in the research. Your excellence must also directly contribute to positive outcomes for the research.

The PhD requirement drops to a UK bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in the third requirement category. You can apply to come to the UK to make a critical contribution to research or to develop new research methodologies or technologies.

A letter from the institution’s director of human resources is another requirement for this final pathway. It will need to include the same information as for the second pathway. It must also include evidence that your expertise is essential to the grant or award’s execution, as well as confirmation that you will spend at least 50% of your working time on it and that a year or more remains on your employment contract.

Full Peer Review

The final endorsement type is for scientists, engineers, humanities scholars, social scientists and medics. A full peer review endorsement is available for both exceptionally promising and talented researchers.

The main requirement is that an eminent UK-based person in your field can vouch for your skills and potential. They’ll need to write a letter on your behalf that explains how they know you and the achievements you have made in your field. They will then need to give specific reasons why they think you are exceptionally talented or promising, and the contribution they think you’ll make in the UK.

A letter from an additional eminent person is required if you are applying on the basis of exceptional talent. This letter will include all previous requirements, as well as a statement confirming that they hold a senior position within a UK organisation working in your field. The eminent person may have a personal relationship with you. Yet they’ll need to confirm that they are providing an objective assessment of your capabilities and potential.

You will need to provide additional supporting documents to demonstrate that you meet the requirements, including:

• Curriculum vitae (CV) detailing your career history
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement showing how you will contribute to your field and the British economy
• Additional supporting documentation demonstrating your expertise and achievements

All documents must be submitted in English, Welsh, or accompanied by a certified translation.

Endorsement applications are made to the Home Office. However, these are then forwarded on to the relevant endorsing body for your field and endorsement type:

• Arts Council England for applicants in the arts, culture, fashion, architecture, film, and television
• Tech Nation for applications in the technology field, including technical and business applicants
• The Royal Society for applicants from the natural and medical sciences
• Royal Academy of Engineering assesses engineering applicants
• UKRI is responsible for science, research and innovation applications

Although there are many types of endorsing bodies and endorsements, you will need to follow the same application process and submit your application and supporting documents via the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.

You will need to pay the endorsement application fee when submitting, and then wait for the endorsing body to make a decision.

The standard processing time for an endorsement application is between five and eight weeks, although this can increase to 12 weeks for complex cases or during busy times.

You must pay £561 for your endorsement application. This won’t be refunded if your application is unsuccessful and if you resubmit, you will need to pay the fee again.

If your endorsement application is successful, you’ll receive a confirmation letter. You can then apply for a Global Talent visa on the UKVI website before booking a biometrics appointment at your nearest visa application centre.

The Global Talent endorsement fee is £205, making the total cost £766, and processing can take 3 weeks if you are applying outside the UK.

You can also switch to a Global Talent visa from inside the UK which can take around 8 weeks for a decision.

You’ll receive a refusal email if the endorsing body thinks you don’t satisfy the requirements to be considered exceptional talent or promise, or if you left sections of your application incomplete. However, this email does not mean you will never be able to access an endorsement.

In cases where you think the endorsing body made administrative errors, you can request an endorsement review, but you can’t submit additional documentation or evidence.

The review request must be done within 28 days, and it is recommended to consult an immigration lawyer for support throughout the process or help you submit a new application.